What Lurks in the Shadows
by hermie's quill
Summary: No Matter how fast Hermione ran it was going to catch her. Her nightmares became reality.The Burrow was supposed to be a save place. Can Ron save her from a fate worse the death? Ron has limited time to stop Hermione turning into the undead a vampire. An
1. When dreams become reality

_Notes-This is may first fan fiction i've ever written and got pubished. I would be grateful for constructive reviews. Thank you to my BETA Ronald Wheezy for helping with my fic._

**What lurks in the shadows**

It seemed like she had been running forever the faster she ran the less progress she made. The ground under her feet was wet and sticky which seemed to slow her down. Her feet felt weighed down with lead. She knew no matter what happened she had to keep running. She'd had this dream before but this time it seemed different. Usually it took place in the Forbidden Forest but tonight it was in the forest near the Burrow.

When her legs gave out from under her, she looked at her hands, which were covered in mud and were bleeding. This wasn't what happened when she had this dream before. She should be waking up by now.

She had cut her knee but she couldn't focus on that now because she had to pull herself up and keep going.

Before she had realised, she had ran right into a dead end. Something had been chasing her and it had finally caught up with her. Standing frozen to the spot, she realized it was some sort of cave. It smelt fowl like rotten flesh mixed with a musky animal scent. She has not smelt these things before but if she had to sum up what it smelt like, she would have to say it smelt like death.

Her blood ran cold, as her breathing became heavy and she was unable to move. All she could do was stare at this tall dark unhuman like figure approaching her. She wanted to scream but nothing came out. She wanted to run but there was nowhere to run to. Nobody was going to save her from what was approaching her.

She could make out in the darkness that its blood red, intense eyes were staring at her. It was looking her over like she was a piece of meat. Whatever it was, it was moving closer toward her. As it came into focus, she noticed its long claw- like hands.

Her heart raced like it was going to explode in her chest.

"Hermione," It hissed.

She stepped back and hit something cold and hard. Her hands shook as she tried to find her wand. Damn. Why didn't she have it with her but it was a dream and she'd wake up any minute now.

"There is nowhere to run to," It hissed.

"You shall be my mine," It hissed again.

"NEVER!" she sputtered, amazed to hear her own voice.

"Oh, but you shall. You have no choice," It laughed evilly.

Her whole body froze as she felt it force upon her. She collapsed into its arms, unable to fight anymore. Its weight and cold icy body became closer into her. . Its razor sharp teeth ripped into her neck, as everything went dark and she felt icy cold. It seemed to be no hope left in the world.

She woke up at dawn and she could hear the birds singing around her. She lay there frozen from the cold and her nightie wet from the damp grass. Why was she here? How did she get here? She remembered how she'd been having that dream again. Maybe she'd woken up and was tucked up at the Burrow or maybe it wasn't a dream but she had been sleepwalking. It would make more sense if she'd had a bad dream and had sleep walked out here. She sighed as she realized she had not sleep walked since she was a child. She opened her eyes and they were stinging. She pulled herself forward so she was sitting up and attempted to stand. She was shaking now from the cold and every part of her body ached as she stood up. As she brushed herself down, she gasped at her blood soaked nightie. Somehow, she made her way back to the Burrow and wondered what time it was and why she had made it without being seen.

The sun was hurting my eyes as it rose and all she could think about was getting into bed and sleeping. She made her way into the Burrow and crept up the stairs. Her hands clutched on the banister, trying to drag herself up the stairs. How was she supposed to get back into bed and not wake Ginny? How would she explain this way? I really don't want to face her or anyone right now.

I'll feel better if I have a shower, she thought.

Creeping into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She pulled her nightie over her head and then threw it down. She turned the shower on and stepped into it. The warm water soaked her skin and she let out a soft moan. It felt so good as the water ran over her and carried the dirt and blood away. For the moment, she felt normal as she sighed and stepped out of the shower to dry herself. The next problem was her nightdress because she couldn't go into Ginny's room like this, so she did a cleansing charm on it. She pulled it back on and left the bathroom with her hair still wet but she didn't care. When she got into Ginny's room, she noticed Ginny was fast asleep and hadn't even noticed she was missing. Collapsing into her bed, she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

Its face came out of the darkness its features pale, chiseled and grotesquely handsome.

"Hermione, come to me," It hissed softly.

"But, I don't even know your name," she murmured in her sleep.

"Come to me tonight and I will tell you," It whispered.

It was seven o'clock in the evening when she woke up. She made her way over to her mirror and gasped at what she saw. Her hair was a mess and she had two tiny puncture holes in her neck.

"Ouch!" She gasped as she looked down at her cut leg.

She lifted her night over her head and saw claw marks on her stomach that felt very sore.

_I got to go down stairs. The Weasley's will be worried, s_he thought.

She got dress, covered the marks up on her neck with a black choker and made her way downstairs.

Ron and Ginny sat around the table, as they looked up and stared at her when she entered.

"You're up late," Ron grinned.

"I didn't feel very well," She said.

"You should see Mum about that then. I thought I'd let you sleep you were out of it," Ginny smiled.

"You look really pale. I'll call Mum," Ron said as he got up from the table and made his way to the door.

"No!" She shouted they all stared at her.

"Honestly, I'm fine. It was just a cold and now I've slept it off I'm fine," She said, softly.

"As long as you're alright now," said Ron.

He couldn't put his finger on it but something was different about her.

She sat by the fire but she still felt cold. She tried to distract herself by picking up 'Hogwarts A history' to read. The words blurred in front of her and she could hear his voice spinning through her head.

"Hermione," he whispered.

"Come to me."

_I'm going mad, _she thought

"No your not. Come to me," It said again.

_Great, now it can hear my thoughts._

"Don't try and fight it. Come to me," It said again.

She put her head in her hands and for a moment she forgot who sat around her.

"Are you sure your alright?" asked Ron, concern spread across his face.

"Yes, I'm fine. I must be still tired," She lied.

"You don't look alright," said Ginny.

"Honestly, I'm fine!" She shouted.

"I'm going back to bed."


	2. In the eye of the storm

Chapter two  
Ron lay on his back in bed listening to the rain slashing against the window. How was he supposed to sleep when the wind outside was howling like a wild animal? He punched his pillow and turned on his side.  
After a few minutes of tossing and turning in his bed,he grunted in frrustration and sat up. Swinging his feet out of bed, he slipped on his slippers and thought about how some warm milk would help him to sleep.  
He was just about to get up when something moving outside his window caught his eye. As curiosity got the better of him, Ron moved to the window to get a better look. It was funny how looking out into a storm like this seemed to calm him.

It seemed to be a figure in the rain that caused him to narrow his eyes so he could make it out better.  
Who the hell in the right mind would walk in this? he thought, shaking his head.  
No, it can be, pressing his face to cold glass.  
Even she wouldn't be that mad.

He could just make out a female form walking away from the Burrow. It looked like Hermione,with her white night dress soaked to her skin, long curly chestnut hair clung wet down her back and she didn't even have shoes on.  
I always thought she was mental, but never this mental, he thought shaking his head.  
He jolted away from the window, grabbed his cloak and pulled his shoes on. Whatever it took he had to get her to come back inside.  
Thundering down the stairs he bolted out of the back door, forgetting on the way to close the door. Her figure was blurring away in the distance. The rain poured down against his skin and his hands were red from the cold.  
I'm frozen already, so god knows how cold she must of felt.  
Mental, mental, he thought.  
He was getting a bit closer to her and with the large strides he took it didn't take long until he was right behind her.  
He thought she would have heard him but was surprised that she hadn't turned round.

"Hermione, wait," He gasped.  
She didn't turn round she just kept on walking.  
Great, what have I done now? He thought.  
"Hermione, wait!" He shouted  
He was panting from the cold and from the physical exertion he had made to catch up with her. His hand reached out and touch her on the shoulder but she carried on walking. He ran in front of her so he was facing her.  
"Hermione, what do you think your Doing?" he panted.  
She didn't answer she just stared straight through him, her eyes glazed over as she carried on walking. Her whole body was shivering, her skin had turn slightly blue and her feet were bleeding.  
If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn she was sleepwalking and and it would have explained a lot.  
"Hermione? Can you hear me? He asked, as he grabbed her shoulders a little harder than he meant to do.  
"Hermione speak. God damn it, this isn't funny. I can't let you walk in this." He bellowed at her.  
She just stared right though him, he knew what he to do.  
She didn't respond to him as he took his cloak off and throw it around her. He lifted he delicate frame off the ground and threw her over his shoulder.  
Her head tipped back, her body felt weak against him and Ron caught her muttering something under her breath.  
As he stumbled into the Burrow with Hermione over his shoulder, he ran into to his Mum. His dad was hooving behind her, while Ginny was standing on the stairs.  
"What do you think your doing thrashing about in the middle of the night and leaving the door open too! What do you think you're doing going out in that storm? You'll catch your death, Ronald." She stopped dead in her rant and gasped at the sight of Hermione's wet form over his shoulder.  
"What has happened, Ronald Weasley? I demand you tell me what has happened? She screeched.  
"Hermione, she's not wel," he muttered as his mothers face turned white. She gasped and put her hand over her mouth.  
"Oh my, get her on the couch. Oh Arthur, look at her she's frozen and covered in blood." She sobbed tears camedown her face.  
Ron laid her gently down on the sofa and stepped back to give his mum and dad some room. Ginny came in the room rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and looking at the scene in front of her with confusion.  
"Mum what's happened? Where's Hermione? She wasn't in bed so…" Her mum cut her off.  
"Ginny, go and get some blankets!"  
"What… what's happened?" She questioned, trying to look over their shoulders.  
"Go and get them now!" Molly Weasley bellowed.  
Ginny turned on her feet and ran up the stairs.  
Ron stood there in the corner not knowing what he should be doing to help her. His heart felt like someone had stuck a knife in it and was twisting it around. Tears filled up in his eyes He glanced over at Hermione as tears filled his eyes. Her body lay motionless on the sofa, her nightdress wet, filthy and covered in blood. Who would do this to her? He tried to hold the tears anymore as he noticed the cut on her leg. He could't help thinking about why she was out in that storm, what was she playing at?  
What will I do if I lose her he thought with his head in his hands.  
He loved her so much but hadn't had the guts to tell her. Now, he was going to lose her and she will never know how he felt.  
With tears down his face, he looked up at his mum who was doing some spell he'd never heard of before over Hermione. Ginny had arrived back with the blankets and was helping Mum put them around her.  
"She's in a deep sleep," Arthur said, putting a reassuring hand on his wife's shoulder.  
"She'll be fine. She just needs to sleep."  
"I'll just take that choker off so she can breath better," His mum said as her fingers reached out and fiddled with the choker.  
"Why these young girls wear these things I will never know?" She pulled the choker off her neck her eyes widened.  
" Oh my! Arthur look!" She gasped as she jumped back.  
Ginny, Arthur and Ron ran forward to get a better look.  
"What…what is it!" spat Ron, fear spreading cross his face.  
"Oh Molly. It's a vampire bite. "Ron could hear the fear in fathers voice.  
"A what!" screeched Ron and Ginny together.  
Molly was sobbing uncontrollably. " Poor Hermione. Oh Arthur, what can we do? This is all my fault" Her head in her hands. "How will I tell the Grangers? It was under my care too!"  
"No dear, we will figure something out. I'll owl Moody. He'll know what to do," He said reassuringly.  
"Hermione's been bitten!" screamed Ginny. "I didn't even heard her get up"  
Realisation swept over Ron, It made him realize why she was walking out stand in the storm.


	3. sinking into oblivion

Chapter three

She was lost in her own slumber as her dreams started to filter in.

_Hermione had just finished Potions and was walking to the Great Hall to meet Harry and Ron._

_The Great Hall was filled with the sounds of the students laughing, talking and the clinking of cutlery. She was suddenly aware of the sound of her own footsteps as she entered the Hall. As she approached the Gryffindor table, all the sounds that were going around her went silent.. It went so quiet that you could hear a pin drop._

"_Hi," She said as she sat next to Harry, dropping her bag next to her. Harry didn't look at her instead but he turned his back and carried on talking to Ginny. _

"_Ron," She gasped, looking at Ron for explanation._

"_What's the matter with him? What have I done?" _

_Ron dropped his fork and looked right at her and she could see hate in his eyes as he said,_

"_As if you don't know, we know what you are Hermione." He spat. He abruptly turned around so his back was turned to her as he carried on talking to Harry._

_As tears came to her eyes, she wondered what had she done wrong for her two best friends to turn their back on her. What did he mean by what I am? She looked over at Ginny who was talking to Harry. She expected Ginny to tell Ron off for playing a joke on her. This has to be some kind of joke but she wasn't laughing._

"_Ginny What's going on?" she asked in a weak voice._

_Hermione could see pity and disgust on Ginny's face as she avioded Hermione's eyes._

_What had she done so wrong why were her three best friends giving her the cold shoulder. Ginny didn't even answer her but just carried on eating her dinner. Hermione stared at her plate of food. She push it away since she wasn't hungry anymore._

"_I'm going to the common room," Ron said as he glanced at Hermione, "As I don't like the company." He sat up and as he did all the other Gryffindors did the same, all refusing to talk to her let alone looked at her._

_She had never felt so alone or unwanted. What had she done so wrong to deserve this? Everyone else left in the Great Hall were looking at her. She could feel their eyes burning into her and she wished that she were far away from here. She wished the floor could just open up and swallow her._

"_Looks like your friends have come to their senses," A sneering voice said behind her._

_She turned around and saw Draco and his crones standing behind her with a smirk across his face. _

"_What are you talking about?" She spat, trying to not let him see that he was getting to her._

"_You don't know do you! He laughed "Have you seen yourself lately? Well once a Mudblood always a filthy Mudblood! Now everyone can see your dirty blood."_

_Her head spun around as she wondered what he meant. What was plain to see? She cradled her head in her hands and began to cry. Her tears just couldn't be held back. Draco hadn't cause these tears but the rejection from her friends had. Where were they when she needed them? _

"_Look!" Draco said as he thrusted a mirror in front of her face. She looked up and screamed at what she saw in the mirror._

_The girl looking back at her wasn't her. This girl had sunken eyes, dark rings around them, skin so pale it looked like white polished marble. Her hair matted and a white streak ran through it. She put her hands to her face and everything felt the same. She looked at herself in the mirror again as she felt something sharp in her mouth. Slowly, she opened her mouth and shut quickly when she saw that she had fangs. How did they get there? What had she become and had everybody else noticed? All she could think about was what her parents would say about her teeth. Her dad wouldn't be happy after he had spent so much time on them. The sound of Draco's voice made her snap out of her thoughts realising what her parents would say about her teeth was the least of her problems._

"_There are rules you know about vampires. The Ministry says they should be kill on sight," Draco said as he approuched her._

_Hermone jumped up from her chair and started backing away from Draco. She could see in his eyes that he loved every minute of her down fall._

" _I always said I'd get you back for what you did to my nose. You filthy Mudblood."_

_He was not alone as everyone from the Great Hall was behind him._

_She felt something snapped inside her when the Great Hall spun around her and she felt like she was floating. She looked down at the Great Hall as her body rose up into the air and the other student's jeers getting quieter. Was she dying she? She wasn't sure, she wasn't sure of anything anymore. She thought Ron, Harry and Ginny were her friends but she was wrong because they had turned their back on her._

_Then she heard his voice in her ear._

"_Come to me, Hermione," He hissed._

"_They don't love you Hermione, I love you. Come to me, I'll never hurt you." _

"_No," She cried, "Leave me alone, just go away."_

"_I can't, they can't accept you. You're like me now," he said his voice ringing in her ears._

"NO! NO! NO!" She screamed and her voice carried itself around the living room of the Burrow. Ron sat next to her, he reached out and took her hand into his.

"Hermione, it's alright, you're safe now I won't let anyone hurt you."

Ron tried to hold his tears back as he watched her sleep. He hated to think about how she was suffering. Arthur stood next to Ron and put his hand on his shoulder.

"She's going to be alright," Arthur said, looking over at Moody.

Moody had arrived half another ago and had begun by asking all sorts of questions.

Even though his father had told him that everything would be all right he couldn't help but notice the worried expression on Moody's face. Ron felt a sicking feeling in his stomach and he knew this wasn't good. Ginny hadn't been much help and she hadn't said anything since they had all found out. His mum had been unbearable with her constant out bursts. He just didn't know what he should do, everything he did was wrong. He wanted so much to help Hermione and have her back to normal but he didn't know what to do with himself. He wanted to owl Harry but Moody had forbidden it. Harry has a right to know, as he was her best friend too. All their plans had been ruined in a few days Harry was coming to the Burrow and Moody couldn't stop that. What was he supposed to tell Harry now? Oh, I'm sorry we can't go and fight Voldemont because Hermione is a vampire.

Moody had thought that the fewer people who knew about this the better. He had said that no one other than who was already there were allowed to enter the Burrow and no one was allowed to leave. So now he was a prisoner in his own home unable to do anything to help. Everytime he tried to do something to help, to keep his mind of things, his mum had shouted at him.

He fiddled with the hem of his jumper, his eyes fixed on Hermione's sleeping form. Why didn't she wake up? I hate to think she's suffering, having nightmares and there's nothing I can do. All he wanted to do was gather her into his arms, hold onto her and never let her go. Why did he have to be in such a deep sleep? If he was awake that night, he would have stopped all this from happening. He should have been there to protect her but he had failed her.

All he knew was that whoever or whatever had done this to her, he was going to kill it with his bare hands. Rip its heart out for what it had done to Hermione.

"So when did she get bitten? " Moody asked stepping closer to Ron causing him to look up at him.

"Er, I'm not sure," Ron answered honestly. He didn't know what else to say. He looked across at Ginny but she offered no answers.

"Think, think boy this is important" Moody shouted making Ginny sit up in her chair and pay attention to Moody.

" Well she was acting weird last night," Ron said not knowing what else to say.

"Weird you say… mmm." As his glass eye scanned the room, it fixed on the window and he started to push his hands against the glass. "You should get those windows checked Mrs. Weasley a werewolf could very easily get through these windows." Mrs. Weasley gave him a dirty look, offended by Moody's attack on her home. She missed the fact that Moody was concerned about the safety of the Burrow and not the condition of it.

"In what way weird?" Moody pushed Ron for an answer.

"Well, she slept all day and got up at seven in the evening," Ron said.

"Sleeping all day is the first sign!" He roared turning around to face Ron. He had never seen a man look so serious as he paced up across the lounge.

"First sign?" Ron's eyes widen at the statement.

" Ah the first sign, the first sign of a vampire attack! You didn't pay attention in my classes! That's the First sign of the undead!" Moody's eyes fixed on Ron.

"Well if that's the first sign then Ron must be one too." Ginny chuckled. Ron was relieved that she was talking again but Mrs. Weasley didn't find Ginny's comment amusing.

"Shh, Ginny. Go on Ron tell Moody what you told me and your father dear."

"She looked really pale and did not want anyone to look over her when I suggested that she let someone look at her…. she flipped," He answered honestly.

"Flipped you say, anything else." Moody added.

"Well there was something else, Ginny you remember, she wore that choker." He looked over at his sister who nodded.

"She wore a choker trying to hide the vampires marks," He said as he looked over the marks on her neck. "Did she have it on the night before?"

"Er no, I don't think so," Ron said looking confused, and then his expression changed as he realised it must have happened the night before.

"So it must have happened the night before but that doesn't leave us with much time," He explained as he took a sip from his flask.

"What do you mean there's not much time left?" Ron spat as he shot up from his chair.

"It depends how far she's gone." He explained. "I won't know until I've examined her."

Moody pushed Hermione's head back, opened her mouth and stuck his fingers in her mouth.

"There look!" He grunted as he pointed in to Hermione's mouth.

The Weasley's gathered around Hermione, jumping back and their faces covered with horror.

"Her teeth are getting sharp, so by tomorrow night she will be.." Moody said gravely.

"Will be what? Ron shouted looking at Moody for answers.

"A vampire, a creature of the night, Nosferatu! So that only leaves us with one option." Moody sighed as his shoulders sank back.

"What, what option," Ron demanded. Damn him, why did he have to speak in riddles?

"I'm sorry but tomorrow she won't be Hermione she will be his bride," Moody said relucktly.

"His what!" Ron shrieked as his fists clenched with anger and rage boiling up in him.

"His bride, she has a link with him now and she will try to go to him." Moody tried to explain to Ron but he wasn't listening. He didn't like the sound of this. Hermione was going to be his bride. She was going to be in another person's arms that weren't his.

"I'm sorry, Ron but we will have to release and save her soul," Moody said trying to avoid Ron's eyes. Arthur seemed to know what Moody was talking about as he interrupted.

"Now hold on Moody. I know your methods are unorthodox but isn't that going a bit far."

"Release her, Dad Mum. What is he talking about?" Ron cried, his eyes filling up as he looked at his mum and dad.

"Shh… it won't come to that," Molly said softly.

Moody interrupted and said very abruptly,

"To release her, I'll have to drive a steak through her heart and then chop her head off."

He walked over to his leather case and began rummaging inside.

"You will not! I won't let you!" Ron bellowed his fists rising up at Moody as he charged at him. Arthur pulled him back and tried to calm him down.

"It's Hermione for gods sake." Ginny sobbed. "We won't let you do that. We could bind her so she couldn't hurt anyone. Mum don't let him do it."

"Arthur you said he was experienced in these matters," Molly screamed at her husband.

"He's not proper a Auror, he's a mad Van Helsing!"

"All of you don't understand. If we don't do it now, by tomorrow it will be too late. I know about vampires, I hunted them for twenty years and she's under his spell now," He shouted back at them.

"There has to be another way," Arthur said trying to pacify Ron.

Moody went quiet for a moment and realised that they weren't going to go along with his plan.

"There is only one other way but it's dangerous."

"What is it? I'll do whatever it takes," Ron shouted.

"Well there is a way but it'll be hard and it might be too late," Moody continued.

"What is it! Tell us!" Ron shouted at Moody.

"We will have to find the vampire that bit her and kill him. But time is against us and she is half way through the change," Moody said looking over at Hermione as she slept.

"There's a but isn't there," Ginny said interrupting Moody.

"Your very smart girl Miss Weasley.., There is a way but and the but is that we don't know where this vampire sleeps in the day," Moody said.

"Oh yes, I remember that from defence against the dark arts last year. They sleep in the day and by night they hunt their pray. So in the day he'll be weak but that doesn't leave us a lot of time," Ginny said.

"We will have to buy time won't we," Moody said as he pulled out a small clear glass bottle out of his suitcase. In the glass bottle a white fluid and he held it up so that they could see it better.

Ron looked puzzled and then he said, "What the hell is that?"

"Essence of garlic, no wonder your Potion marks were so poor," Moody said and Mrs. Weasley gave Ron a dirty look.

"You should of know that!" Ranted Mrs. Weasley.

"I knew that!" Ron said quickly.

"If we get her to drink this, it will slow the process down," Explained Moody.

"Only one problem she hates garlic," Ron said.

"That's the idea. If she liked it in the first place, it wouldn't have, been so attracted to her," Moody said sarcastically..

"I warn you it's going to be hard.She will struggle and she will give you lots of excuses why she can't take it." Moody warned.

"Ok, I'll do it." Ron nodded.

"Then we can start on the next step," Moody continued.

"Which is what?" Ginny asked.

"She has a link to him now and he will be doing everything in his power to get to her. He will try to confuse us and distant us. We can use this link to our advantage to find out where he hides and when we know that we can strike when he's weak. Don't be fooled by this he won't give her up without a fight, he has a taste for her now," Moody said as he pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at Hermione.

"What are you doing!" Ron shouted as he noticed Moody mutter a spell under his breath, binding her body to the bed.

"Calm down it's just a safety precaution. This will only hold her until dusk. If we don't succeed, she will become too strong to be held by this," Moody warned.

Ginny sensed that Ron was getting worked up again so she interrupted.

"How will we use this link?"

"I will have to put her in a trance and get her to open up about him." Moody said.

They fell all fall fell quiet when Hermione's voice interupted their conversation.

"Where am?" She asked turning her head so she couldsee Ron, who was sat next to her.

"Ron, what's going on? Why can't I move and why is Moody here?"


End file.
